I found an odd discussion thread on increasing the range of the keyless entry, but I have the opposite problem - mine is too sensitive. In the first month after I got my Hyundai Elantra I inadvertently locked/unlocked the car at least a dozen times. Several times I returned to my car to find the trunk wide open. In the 9 years I had a Jetta, not once did I accidentally lock or unlock it, and I had to be very close to it to open the trunk. The Hyundai keyless entry is way too sensitive and the range is too far. I consider this a design flaw but the guys at my Hyundai dealership act like I’m the only person who has ever had this problem. Whenever someone asks how I like my car, I tell them I HATE MY HYUNDAI because of the key thing, so I’ve heard stories about other cars that have the same problem – cars that cost a lot more than mine. I really don’t understand why other people don’t complain about it, or why manufacturers don’t address the issue, but mostly I want to know if there’s anything I can do to fix the problem. I leave my golf clubs in the trunk all summer and I’m never sure if they’ll be there when I get back.
You could try not pressing any of the remote buttons except when you want to unlock the car or open the trunk. That’s what I do.
(This is fairly important as my car will also roll all the windows down if you hold the unlock button for a couple of seconds.)
Put that remote away back home and use the valet key. It has no remote.
Is the remote part of the ignition key or is it a separate unit?
I never take the remote with me when I drive my car. I use the key, just like in the old days, and it works perfectly 100% of the time.
If the remote is part of the key, remove the battery. No more open trunk.
If this is happening at home, it wouldn’t be too hard never to put your keys in your pocket at home. Just carry them into the house and set them down.
You could experiment with reducing the range. You could run the battery down somewhat before putting it in your remote. If you can find the receiver on the car, you could try surrounding it with some metal to reduce the signal getting to it.
Can you rig any kind of small plastic box or cover for the remote so that no buttons can be pressed when it’s in your pocket? Obviously that will make it more inconvenient to unlock the car each time, but I guess that could be a necessary tradeoff. Maybe the buttons could be covered with a piece of tape so that more effort is needed to push them in.
You could consider breaking the trunk release button on the remote, assuming it’s separate from the unlock button, since a wide-open trunk is a lot worse than an unlocked car.
I don’t have a sensitivity issue with the door locks, but I can open the trunk from a considerable distance, and seemingly through walls. I’ve noticed this with my car and most rentals I’ve had in the last several years. If I forget where my car is, I’ll sometimes pop the trunk to locate it. This is especially a problem in a parking garage if the car is not on the same row where I suspect that it is. Fortunately, you have to hold the button down for a couple of seconds to open the trunk. How do you handle the RKE fob that the buttons get pushed?
I used to have a problem with my “intruder alert”. I’d get up to get a glass of milk, sit back down in the recliner, and suddenly my horn and lights would start going off in the garage. My pocket change was pressing the button.
In my case the buttons are on the key. They’re little rubber “pills” held on top of the actual contacts with a plastic membrane. The membrane wor through, the “intruder alert” “pill” fell out, and I restored the key by buttering STV silicone silastic on top of the surface. Problem gone! The RTV is firm enough to be able to activate the button should I choose to, but not of a durometer that allows accidental pressure from loose change to activate the button.
If yours is similar to mine, perhaps you could remove the rubber “pills”, backfill the holes with RTV silicone, and solve the problem. It worked great for me.
If you can find an o ring that fits around the contact inside the silicone it will make it less able to reach the contact on the remote because it will require more pressure to open .
This thread has been dead for 8 years , Edward.
+1
When one considers that the OP stated 8 years ago that he “hated” his Hyundai, I think the chance of him still owning that car is somewhere between slim and none.
Alright , I was only trying to help as this post came up when I googled “remote is too sensitive”. The problem remains for many people . My solution works perfectly for my car . Just wanted to help . Rules of this community says criticize ideas not people . You just turn me off from ever posting again . But you like that . Don’t you . Why not correct my English grammar too.
Thank you, Edward. It might help somebody at some point. No, we are not going to correct your grammar.
Well, I for one is appreciative for Your post. I have a remote control with the described problems and Your fix may come in handy. I You hadn’t brought this “old” thread up, I might just have spent money on a new, but I’ll give it a try.
VOLVO_70 is quite a negative guy. Otherwise he’s a nice guy. We’ll all have to be a bit overbearing from time to time. I hope that You haven’t been too disappointet so that You’ll never come back to ask questions, should You have some. There are nice guys in droves here.
And I give a darned how old the thread is, if it’s too old, I have the choice of read it or not.
Thank you folks . I was mostly yanking his chain . He did’nt get mad so he’s a better man than I am. Lol
Did it work for you ?
Unfortunately not.